San Antonio Spurs

[menderouv]

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congrats to my fav team!hehe

[tackielarla]

^ ^ Oi welcome fellow Spurs fan.

[EvenStar]

nakatuyo jud mos FLORIDA,ang lakers B2B loss jud diha.

two thumbs up for the SPURS!!!!

[tackielarla]

An article about George freakin Hill!

Spurs' Hill produces in key minutes
Jeff McDonald

MIAMI — Midway through the second quarter of the Spurs' 91-84 victory Monday night at Miami, rookie guard George Hill found himself in a situation that could have been hazardous to his health.

Spurs forward Kurt Thomas had just been called for a loose ball foul, while scrambling for a rebound with diminutive Heat guard Chris Quinn, and was close to letting the official who had whistled it, Bob Delaney, have an earful.

So Hill did something he would not advise kids to try at home. He stepped between a perturbed bull (Thomas) and a flapping, red cape (Delaney).

“That's what a teammate is for,” said Hill, who not-so-gently prodded the veteran Thomas to midcourt. “When things go bad, to get him out of a situation where it could possibly hurt us. I just wanted to keep it peaceful.”

Hill wasn't just there to play peacemaker Monday. In an extended stint in reserve of Tony Parker, Hill scored 15 points in 17 minutes — including the first 6 1/2 of the fourth quarter — and made all four of his field goal tries.

It was his most prolific scoring night since posting 19 points against Chicago on Nov. 26.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said he went into the game planning to give Hill some extra minutes. Hill made the decision to keep him in the game easy.

“We wanted to give him time, as a rookie, to play,” Popovich said, noting how Miami rookie Mario Chalmers has flourished while playing a starter's minutes. “Every minute he can get is going to help him down the stretch, and we love leaving him in there.”

Twice, the Heat (18-15) tied the game in the early stages of the fourth quarter. Twice, Hill answered with a big basket.

He followed Quinn's tying 3-pointer with a matching 3-pointer, then responded to Dwyane Wade's old-fashioned 3-point play with one of his own.

“Anything that helps our team win games,” Hill said. “If it's three minutes or two minutes or if it's the whole game.”

Still bombing: The Spurs were 10 of 22 from the 3-point stripe, which meant they had cooled off from their 15 of 26 clip in a victory against Philadelphia two nights earlier.

It was still enough to nudge the Spurs' league-leading season percentage up a tenth of a point to 40.7 percent — and leave Miami coach Erik Spoelstra impressed.

Spoelstra said the Spurs' 3-point attack begins with its Big Three of Tim Duncan, Parker and Manu Ginobili creating open looks.

“Those three guys create so many problems, and the shooters they leave open are deadly,” Spoelstra said. “They take advantage of that.”

Matt Bonner was the Spurs' best 3-point marksman against the Heat, making 3 of 4 attempts as part of an 11-point night.

Cook leaves game: Heat guard Daequan Cook left the game after banging knees with Thomas in the first half and did not return. Cook had been a key contributor for Miami, scoring in double figures in nine consecutive games before Monday night.

[koontz_circle]

I told you bro, they will going to kick some ass before All-Star break.

when gani toh ang rodeo?

[tackielarla]

^After the all-star weekend.

Why Tim Duncan doesn’t get Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, or Dwyane Wade respect
Oly Sandor



Can Tim Duncan get some love?

Forget, for a moment, that the Spurs have won 14 of 17. And forget that this injury-riddled crew suddenly have the second best record in the Western Conference and are capable of challenging the Cavaliers, Celtics, and Lakers.

I’m talking about career love. Or even career recognition for his four NBA Titles, MVP and Defensive Player of the Year awards, and being the building block for the best organization in pro sports.

Duncan wins. Correction. San Antonio, Duncan’s team, wins. That’s what matters to the former first overall pick. Yet, in a results orientated business like the NBA, he gets less respect than a New Kids On The Block comeback or Rocky sequel.

Duncan’s backers always have to justify his status as an elite player. If winning is the mark of greatness, the currency among the crème de la crème, elite players –that would be the Kobes, LeBrons, and D-Wades of this world- should have to justify why they are worthy of Duncan.

That’s right: the lanky post is the bar others should aspire to. Not vice-versa. Duncan, arguably the greatest power forward of all-time, continues to be slept-on.

Well, why?

‘The Big Fundamental’ nickname says it all. Casual fans are entertained by flash, glitz, and aerial antics, while even serious fans don’t always like razor sharp efficiency and methodical brilliance. Duncan’s technical genius is under-appreciated.

Location. Location. Location. San Antonio is a quiet city and the Spurs are unable to get the same attention as bigger markets. The national media will always cover the Knicks’ on-going soap opera or the Lakers even though the Spurs’ deserve better.

There is also the matter of perception. Most reporters think because Duncan plays like a robot, he lacks personality. One famous scribe even dubbed him ‘Timmy Robot’ after the Will Smith flick I-Robot. This perception is wrong. Duncan has a great sense of humour and interesting perspective that doesn’t get nearly enough national attention.

Of course, Duncan doesn’t care about getting love, which means he’ll continue to be overlooked. Hopefully, we will wake up. And hopefully, we then recognize his accomplishments.

[tackielarla]

Game Thoughts: Spurs @ Heat Jan. 5

In a tightly contested battle, the San Antonio Spurs got a few big plays down the stretch to defeat the Miami Heat by a final score of 91-84. While it wasn’t the prettiest of games, the Spurs showed heart and executed well down the stretch to grab the victory.

The biggest of the big plays came following a Dywane Wade steal on a bad pass by Tony Parker with a minute and a half left in the final quarter. Wade sprinted down the court and was about to complete an acrobatic finish over Parker when Manu Ginobili flew out of nowhere to emphatically block the ball back towards San Antonio’s basket. The Spurs converted on the other end to grow their lead to five points.

The Heat looked like a solid team. They aren’t a championship contender this season but they will make the playoffs as long as Wade remains healthy. Erik Spoelstra has his team defending well and the Heat smartly run their offense through Wade nearly every time down the court.

When it was all said and done, the Spurs have to be happy with this win. It wasn’t quite vintage Spurs Basketball . . . but it was close.

Tim Duncan

36 minutes, 19 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two blocks, three turnovers
7-for-15 from the field, 5-for-8 at the line

Tim Duncan’s stat line may be pedestrian but he played a huge part in the victory. When the offense got stagnant, Duncan made a number of big hoops in isolation situations. He also passed well and did commendable work on the offensive glass. Defensively, Duncan was much improved from his last outing. He was solid in his pick-and-roll defense and he protected the rim adequately well. It wasn’t an overpowering performance by Duncan but he was definitely the glue that kept the team together throughout the contest.
-------------------------------

Manu Ginobili

27 minutes, ten points, five rebounds, three assists, three steals, one block
5-for-14 from the field, 0-for-5 on three-pointers

Outside of his three-point shooting, Manu Ginobili had a quality outing. On defense, he was active and aggressive – which was best illustrated by his unbelievable block. Offensively, he was productive when he used his dribble and didn’t settle for outside shots. He also took good care of the ball, finishing with only one turnover despite the swarming Heat defense. Overall, Ginobili had a positive performance highlighted by the biggest play of the game.
-------------------------------

Tony Parker

31 minutes, eight points, seven assists, two steals
4-for-9 from the field

Tony Parker had one of his quieter games of the season. He wasn’t overly bad – he just wasn’t doing as much as usual. To start off the contest, Parker was passing it extremely well and finished the game with seven assists and only two turnovers. After going 1-for-6 in the first half, Parker was 3-for-3 in the second half. One of his baskets was a left-handed scoop shot late in the fourth to help seal the victory. Usually the Spurs will need more from Parker but on this night San Antonio survived without a major contribution from their starting point guard.
-------------------------------

Michael Finley

19 minutes, seven points, three rebounds
2-for-6 from the field, 1-for-3 on three-pointers

Michael Finley didn’t have a very good game. He missed a few shots and that made him second guess everything he did on the offensive end. Defensively and on the glass he had a few good moments but he also had some lapses. As a result of his uneven play, Finley played less than 27 minutes for the first time since Christmas.
-------------------------------

Roger Mason, Jr.

28 minutes, 11 points, four rebounds
5-for-12 from the field, 1-for-4 on three-pointers

Although Roger Mason, Jr. battled early foul trouble, he kept his energy level high and ended up having a good game. Defensively, I thought he was very steady – especially late in the game on Wade. He didn’t do anything fancy but just staying in front of Wade and getting a hand up is a task in itself. Offensively, Mason was a bit erratic but in the final stanza he was 3-for-5, including a momentum changing jumper directly after Ginobili’s dunk. Overall, it’s exciting to see that Mason is starting to establish himself as the team’s second best perimeter defender in one-on-one situations. If he can continue to improve on that end of the court, Pop will go to him more and more.
-------------------------------

Matt Bonner

31 minutes, 11 points, five rebounds, two assists
4-for-7 from the field, 3-for-4 on three-pointers

Matt Bonner’s missing energy seems to be resurfacing. Against the Heat, he was the energetic player we saw in the early parts of December. He had his best defensive outing in a long while, although his rebounding still is lacking. If he can combine sufficient rebound with this type of active defense, that could be a good enough complement next to Duncan. On offense against Miami, Bonner played well. He spread the court with his shot and made a couple of good passes when he had players rotating to him. All in all, it was an encouraging outing from Bonner.
-------------------------------

Bruce Bowen

23 minutes, three points, two rebounds
1-for-2 from the field, 1-for-1 on three-pointers

Bruce Bowen historically has had a tough time defending Wade but he played some quality D against him on Monday night. Despite getting called for a few iffy fouls, Bowen kept pestering and helped force Wade into five turnovers and 10-for-26 shooting. He also went around and through screens better than he has in recent weeks. On offense, Bowen continues to make the most out of his limited shot attempts.
-------------------------------

George Hill

17 minutes, 15 points, seven rebounds
4-for-4 from the field, 3-for-3 on three-pointers, 4-for-5 at the line

Struggling to score in recent weeks, George Hill caught fire against the Heat. His 15 points on perfect 4-for-4 shooting was five more points than he scored in his last six games combined. The return of his three-point shooting was notable. From Dec. 4 through Dec. 17, Hill hit at least one three-pointer in six of seven games. In his last eight games since Dec. 17, he hadn’t hit any three-pointers. His trio of threes against the Heat was a season-high and his 15 points was a high since the 19 he scored against Chicago on Nov. 26. Hill’s scoring was impressive because most of his baskets came under duress. Also impressive were his seven rebounds in 17 minutes of action. Hopefully this breakout game will get Hill back on track and allow him to regain his footing as one of the biggest surprises of the 2008 NBA Draft.
-------------------------------

Kurt Thomas

17 minutes, two points, four rebounds
1-for-3 from the field

Kurt Thomas played better against the Heat than he has recently. He was pounding the glass on both ends and playing with heightened physicality. Offensively, he missed both of his perimeter jumpers but helped out by setting strong screens. This is how Thomas needs to play if he wants to monopolize the minutes behind Duncan and Bonner.
-------------------------------

Ime Udoka

Eight minutes, five points
2-for-3 from the field, 1-for-2 on three-pointers

Ime Udoka is in the throes of an underwhelming season but he played well on Monday night. He was aggressive offensively without being reckless. On defense, he bodied his man without fouling and didn’t get beaten off the dribble. It’d be nice if Udoka could play this composed more often when called upon.
-------------------------------

Anthony Tolliver

Four minutes

Tolliver spent four minutes on the court, in which time the Spurs were outscored 9-0 by the Heat. It wasn’t his fault entirely but the offense just stopped functioning with him out on the court. This obviously wasn’t the type of performance Tolliver wanted before Wednesday’s cut day. Now the Spurs need to decide whether or not to keep him and guarantee the rest of his season’s salary or let him go.
-------------------------------

Gregg Popovich


I thought this game was one of Pop’s better coaching jobs of the season. The best thing he did best was give Hill extended playing time. With Hill playing well and Parker not doing much, it was the right call to let Hill cut into Parker’s minutes. And it was also the right call to let Parker back in to finish off the Heat. I liked the confidence that Pop showed in Mason and Bonner by letting that duo close out the game on the court. Pop also deserves kudos for recognizing Finley’s struggles and keeping him off the court for the final 18 minutes of the game.
-------------------------------

Offense

The offense wasn’t great but it flowed just enough to get by the Heat. The Spurs had a few ugly possessions bailed out by players stepping up and knocking down difficult shots. For the game, the Spurs shot 46.7% from the floor, hit 10-of-22 three-pointers and had 19 assists compared to 12 turnovers. It’d be nice if they could have gotten to the line more than 15 times, but the Heat weren’t being too physical and the refs weren’t blowing the whistle very often so the lack of freebies wasn’t too surprising.

Defense

Although it wasn’t championship level defense, the Spurs as a unit gave good effort. The chink in the armor was somewhat slow rotation to open shooters once the Heat penetrated, which explains why Miami got 24 assists on their 36 baskets. That’s an extremely high percentage of assisted buckets for the Spurs to give up. For the game, the Heat shot 44.4% from the floor, hit 6-of-16 three-pointers and only turned it over 12 times. The Spurs did a good job of defending without fouling, which led to only eight free throw attempts for the Heat. It was also nice to see the Spurs win the rebounding battle 41-40.

Drive to Five

The Heat game was a deceptively good win for the Spurs. Even during the championship years, the Heat have played the Spurs tough – especially Wade. San Antonio now has two days off before playing the Los Angeles Clippers in the AT&T Center on Thursday night. With the schedule about to get extremely difficult, that will be another contest the Spurs need to put in the W column.

Believe.

[footlose]

^After the all-star weekend.

Why Tim Duncan doesn’t get Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, or Dwyane Wade respect
Oly Sandor



Can Tim Duncan get some love?

Forget, for a moment, that the Spurs have won 14 of 17. And forget that this injury-riddled crew suddenly have the second best record in the Western Conference and are capable of challenging the Cavaliers, Celtics, and Lakers.

I’m talking about career love. Or even career recognition for his four NBA Titles, MVP and Defensive Player of the Year awards, and being the building block for the best organization in pro sports.

Duncan wins. Correction. San Antonio, Duncan’s team, wins. That’s what matters to the former first overall pick. Yet, in a results orientated business like the NBA, he gets less respect than a New Kids On The Block comeback or Rocky sequel.

Duncan’s backers always have to justify his status as an elite player. If winning is the mark of greatness, the currency among the crème de la crème, elite players –that would be the Kobes, LeBrons, and D-Wades of this world- should have to justify why they are worthy of Duncan.

That’s right: the lanky post is the bar others should aspire to. Not vice-versa. Duncan, arguably the greatest power forward of all-time, continues to be slept-on.

Well, why?

‘The Big Fundamental’ nickname says it all. Casual fans are entertained by flash, glitz, and aerial antics, while even serious fans don’t always like razor sharp efficiency and methodical brilliance. Duncan’s technical genius is under-appreciated.

Location. Location. Location. San Antonio is a quiet city and the Spurs are unable to get the same attention as bigger markets. The national media will always cover the Knicks’ on-going soap opera or the Lakers even though the Spurs’ deserve better.

There is also the matter of perception. Most reporters think because Duncan plays like a robot, he lacks personality. One famous scribe even dubbed him ‘Timmy Robot’ after the Will Smith flick I-Robot. This perception is wrong. Duncan has a great sense of humour and interesting perspective that doesn’t get nearly enough national attention.

Of course, Duncan doesn’t care about getting love, which means he’ll continue to be overlooked. Hopefully, we will wake up. And hopefully, we then recognize his accomplishments.

no offense to kobe fans but I think Timmy is ten times better than kobe, kobe never reached the finals without the help of dominant centers Gasol and O neal.. While Timmy transformed Parker and Manu into perenial all stars.........

sounds familiar..... he reminds me of MJ though lahi ilang position. they make their teamates better.. I remember how sloppy pip was before during his early days and so does horace grant.

hopefully mag abot napud ni sila sa akong Phoenix.. kay wa gyud mi gabalos ani nila dah. hehehe.. Phoenix could have been world champs 1 or 2 times if it wasnt for the Spurs.

[marvel]

Tim Duncan doesn't have lots and lots of highlights mao nang di kaayo maappreciate iyang dinuwaan di pareho nila Bryant, James, Wade, ug uban pa diha nga kuyaw kaayo ug mga lihok.

Duncan just gets the job done at the end of the day, walay arte2x or show2x.

[koontz_circle]

Duncan lays it in!